When Mel Brooks made Spaceballs, he didn’t need a Star Wars refresher course; it had only been a few years between Brooks’ 1987 film and the end of the original Star Wars trilogy in 1983. However, when Josh Gad recently pitched a sequel to the comedy classic, nearly 40 years had passed along with countless films, shows, games, and books in the Star Wars franchise. Brooks was the first to admit that he hadn’t exactly kept up with the galaxy far, far away. So when Gad pitched Spaceballs 2, he had to do so while also bringing the famed filmmaker and comedian up to speed, which seems like a Herculean task.
Gad revealed on the Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast that getting Brooks’ approval for the project (and having him sign on as a producer) required the Frozen star to engage in a frenetic, one-man, 40-minute pitch. Gad elaborated to host Kelly Ripa by saying:
“Mel is incredibly involved, and I’ll share a funny story that I haven’t yet shared […] Mel wasn’t necessarily, at the time, up to date on all of the latest Star Wars films. When I was pitching him the original conceit for what we wanted to do with the film, you know, at the beginning he goes [impersonating Mel Brooks]: ‘I’m just telling you now, I want you to really go into detail, because I don’t know a lot about the new Star Wars films.’ And I said, ‘Okay.’
“It’s literally like, I am a combat vet just going to war in front of one person. I’m sweating. I am getting into every line and every beat and every comedic set piece, every reveal. And I’m painting all of it, and I’m speaking to how this speaks to a certain Star Wars moment, etc. And there’s silence and at the end of it, he goes [imitating Brooks again]: ‘Wow. Josh, it really sounds like you’ve got your finger on the pulse!'”
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It all sounds frantic enough to be Gad’s next Broadway performance. Gad, who wrote the film with Detective Pikachu co-writers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez, will also star in and produce the sci-fi parody. Brooks similarly took on multiple responsibilities while making the original Spaceballs. In addition to starring as President Skroob — and as Yogurt, his unforgettable Jewish twist on Yoda — Brooks co-wrote, produced, and directed the iconic sci-fi comedy. And as far as the sequel goes, Gad assures the fans that everyone who has read the script has enjoyed it.
“Everybody Who’s Read It Has Been Blown Away”
Spaceballs will always be regarded as one of Mel Brooks’ best films, so living up to the iconic 1987 movie won’t be an easy feat to pull off, even for Josh Gad and company. However, the project seems to be heading in the right direction, at least where the screenplay is concerned. Gad has assured fans that “everybody who’s read it has been blown away.” The Frozen star was also very complimentary about how supportive Brooks has been. Gad said in an interview with Forbes:
“It was sort of a fever dream that this all happened. Mel has been so unbelievably supportive, involved, and electrified by this because it’s the one that surprisingly got away. It’s a dream to be able to finally make the reality prophesied by Yogurt in the first movie happen […] Every hour of every day right now is spent making this project closer and closer to reality — and I think we’re nearing the end zone here.”
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An official release date has not been set yet for the Josh Gad-led Spaceballs sequel, but it’s logical to predict a timeframe of mid-to-late 2026. Meanwhile, those who prefer the parody’s Schwartz over the better-known Force from Star Wars can watch the 1987 classic sci-fi comedy on AMC+ at the time of this writing. The must-see film also stars John Candy, Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, and even Joan Rivers, who voices the C-3PO-esque Dot Matrix.
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Release Date
June 24, 1987
Runtime
96 minutes
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